Rick's View
by CatBru
Summary: Finally! It's completed! Done! Finished! It took me a week but it's DONE!!! HAHAHAHA!!! ~Muse takes author back to the typewritter~ No, they must know my new story is COMPLETE!!! AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa!


Rick's POV  
  
Summary: Rick's point of view. Sad sad sad...  
  
Disclaimer: I realize I hadn't put this annoying little thing down before. They don't belong to me! If they did, they would all be happier!  
  
Author's Notes: I realize I am no guy. I don't claim to be a guy. I am pretty sure I am female. Just hear me roar! If I made Rick sound too 'girlie' for you, I apologize. I just write what I know and if I don't know, I write what my muse tells me to. And as before, major spoilers for "The Mummy Returns." More this time, and several for "The Mummy."  
  
  
  
Rick's legs pumped faster and faster as he raced through the oasis jungle, attempting to beat the quickly rising sun. He dodged the underbrush and swept aside the overhanging branches with his free hand. The local natives were far behind him. He hadn't seen or heard the miniature mummies since he blew that one into dust, and he hoped there wouldn't be anymore that would pop out from behind a tree.   
  
Lady Luck was on his side, for once. He managed to tear through the clearing in front of the massive pyramid. As he felt the sun touch his foot, he leapt for the safety of the large structure. O'Connell crashed into the mud brick wall and somehow managed to land in a way that he did not crush his son.  
  
It took him several seconds to calm his breathing and heart enough to where he was able to speak. And even then it was difficult. "You know... it's not easy... being a dad."  
  
His son laughed and patted his chest reassuringly. "Yea well, you do a pretty good job of it." Rick smiled and pulled Alex into a hug. Evelyn had been right (as usual); he hadn't felt right until he had his son in his arms once again. Pride filled him as his son hugged back. There had been a time when he felt he would never find the "ever elusive" emotion everyone talked about but was never seen. That was until he had met Evelyn. It hadn't been love at first sight. He had simply become smitten with her. He never thought he would feel the same way for anyone, ever. And when his son was born he realized he could love two people so much, but in such different ways. Evelyn and Alex were by far the most important people in his life.  
  
He saw his wife and brother-in-law run into the clearing and he smiled. They were both safe, that was all that mattered. Life was perfect. Well, as long as there were no more mummies, it would be. But this was about as perfect as any man could ever hope for.  
  
In a space of five seconds, his perfect world was shattered into a million pieces. As he was lying on the ground, he watched as Imhotep and his girl walk up. Warning bells rang in his head as he watched the  
Egyptian beauty walk up with obvious purpose to his wife. He was frozen in place, his arms tightening around his son.  
  
Time itself seemed to slow so that he could watch his own downfall stretch for an eternity. He barely noticed as Imhotep grabbed Jonathan by the throat and through him into a statue. Instead, he watched in horror as Anck-Sunamun slowly (at least, he saw it slowly) grabbed a hold of Evelyn by the arm and forcefully yank her back. The long blade of the ancient knife glistened in the morning sun, and Rick felt something tear through him as the blade was imbedded into the abdomen of his wife.  
  
Although he was far away, the image of the knife easily sheathing into her flesh seemed to be right there in front of him. Ever so slowly Anck-Sunamun retracted the weapon from his wife. Blood now stained the once cleaned blade, and it was then that time sped up and he was able to react. Letting go of his son, he raced over to where his wife stood. He could see that she was in shock, and that she as going to...  
  
"NO!!" The word was unconsciously wrenched from his throat as he ran. Imhotep and his girlfriend walked on, not caring that his life was ending along with Evelyn's. She turned to watch him come to her and then fell to her knees.  
  
Thankfully, he was able to reach her before she fell to the ground. He gently lowered her, hoping that this would buy him time to do something to save her.  
  
"She's going to be alright, isn't she dad?"  
  
Rick turned to his son. "Yes, get back. Jonathan, take him!" He couldn't deal with his son at the moment. His lost young voice had nearly caused him to lose what little control he had left.  
  
"You're gonna make it, Evy. You're strong. It's going to be alright." The words he said felt hollow even to him. He knew there was no way she would survive. He just couldn't give up on some possibility that there was some way to save her. There always had been. He looked around him, desperately looking for anything. He tried talking to Jonathan. "We need to... Do we have any... We don't..." Talking to him wouldn't help. His brother-in-law had more problems with this sort of thinking then he did. So he turned to Evy. She had all the answers. She would tell him how he could save her. She had to. "Evy, what do I do?"  
  
A large sloppy tear fell from his eye and onto her cheek, mingling with another one of hers. He wiped them both away with his thumb. "Take care of Alex."  
  
No. No, no, no, no... He could see her fading more steadily now. It was getting harder for her to breathe. "Don't stop breathing, Evy. Whatever you do, PLEASE don't stop breathing!"  
  
A tear replaced the one he had just wiped away. The next breath had been the hardest she ever had to take. She struggled to speak, and she had his complete attention. She would always have his complete attention. He would drop whatever he was doing to hear her speak, if only she'd live!  
  
Lady Luck wasn't "Lady Luck" at all. Instead, she was a demoness, demanding a price be paid for every miracle she preformed...she had given him his son safely, and so she demanded the life of his wife.  
  
He could see her struggle to speak, so as he had promised, he dropped what he was thinking so he would hear her. "I... love you." And with that, Evelyn O'Connell died in her husband's arms.  
  
No. No, this was not happening, this couldn't be happening! She's not dead, she can't be. Please, Evy don't be dead, don't make me say good bye...  
  
"Come back, Evy. No, don't leave me. Please come back!" His pleas went unanswered, as somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew they would. His attempt to rub life into her cooling skin was futile. She was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
She was dead...  
  
He was confused when he heard a soft whimpering noise. When he finally realized it was coming from him, he broke down and nestled his face against her cool neck. He shook with sobs as he clutched onto her lifeless body.  
  
At any other time, he would have been ashamed. But this was too important, she was to damn important for him to be ashamed. But he didn't care, wasn't thinking…  
  
He felt lost, unsure of what to do. Everything became blurred as he tried to figure out what he was going to do with this gaping hole in him. Half of his soul had just been brutally ripped from him, and he didn't know what the hell he was going to do.  
  
His cries became quieted and soon his eyes became dry. He lay there for a few minutes before he got up, leaving the familiar-ness of his wife.  
  
He just stood there, staring down at her for who knows how long, before he felt a timid tug on his sleeve. Tearing his eyes away, he turned to see his son. His face was dirty, and there were trails where his tears had washed away the dirt.  
  
He knelt down in front of his son and placed his large hands on his small shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Alex."  
  
"Oh, Dad." The young boy wrapped his arms tightly around Rick's neck. He returned the hug just as fiercely. They had both lost someone the cared deeply for. More than cared. Loved.  
  
His miserable heartache was swiftly replaced by an all-consuming rage. How dare they take her away from them? What right did they have to snuff out her life? She was young! She still had her whole life ahead of her, and they took it away.  
  
He pulled back from his son, his mind made up. He wiped away a few of the young boy's tears as he got up. "Stay here," he commanded them. He stood up completely and headed for the pyramid. He had some mummy killin' to do.  
  
  
  
The torch bounced light and shadow over the walls of the tunnel. He walked slowly, straining to hear for any sounds of the damned mummy and his girl. As he walked, he began to feel lightheaded. He waved the torch in front of him a couple of times and was assaulted by past memories. At first, he only heard the words.  
  
**"What do you want? And who's the broad?" "Broad?!"**  
  
**"Do you swear?" "Every damn day."**  
  
**"I will give you one hundred pounds to spare this man's life!"**  
  
**"By the way, why did you kiss me?" "I dunno. I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time." "Oooo!"… "What? What'd I say?"**  
  
**"Relax, I'm the map. It's all up here!" "Oh, THAT'S comforting!"**  
  
**"Can you swim?" "Of course I can swim, if the occasion calls for it!" "Believe me, it calls for it!"**  
  
**"We've lost everything! All of our equipment, all of our supplies. All of my clothes!"**  
  
Pretty soon, images began to come along with the dialogue. He was watching his own little movie on the inside of his head, while his body was on autopilot.  
  
**Nighttime. A camp fire. The desert. The beautiful sound of a woman giggling. A deeper laugh followed. "Alright, tough stuff. Let's see what you got. Put your arm like this and swing right here. And you've got to mean it." O'Connell tapped the center of his hand, preparing for the blow that would come from the drunken Evelyn.  
  
"I meeaan it!" She swung and hit his hand squarely before spinning around and falling. He caught her in his arms and gently lowered her to the ground. "All right, I think it's time for another drink." She giggled at this and grabbed her brother's bottle of Lenlivit.  
  
"Unlike my brother Sir, I know when to say no."**  
  
He was continually assaulted. His life was flashing before his eyes. He didn't know what image would come next. And he knew there were plenty he didn't want to see.  
  
A surge of power passed though him and he feared he might already be too late. Quickening his pace a little bit, he came to a room where the curator had his arm inside a large statue. "The Scorpion King rises! Imhotep will defeat him! He shall control the army of Anubis!"  
  
O'Connell yanked a double bladed ax from a statue and turned to another corridor. He didn't give the slimy man another glance as he made his reply. "Not when I'm through with him."  
  
Another image almost caused him to stop with its intensity. His emotions and senses were there, and he felt as though he had gone back in time.  
  
**They had been married just shy of a month. Evelyn had gone home early from the museum where she worked. She had sent word to Rick that she had been nauseous and that she was seeing the doctor. She had been ill for several days now. Her stomach would cramp up and she couldn't keep anything, liquid or solid, down. Rick got home as soon as he could. He saw the doctor leave and raced upstairs to her (well, room. Evelyn was standing by the window, tears falling from her eyes. He felt his heart stop as he made his way towards her. "Evelyn? What did he say?" He spoke softly; afraid that if he were to talk any louder she would shatter.  
  
She turned her teary eyes to him, giving him a watery smile. She placed her hand over her belly and reached out for his. He took her hand and grasped her fingers, fearing the worst. "He said that nausea is very common in my condition. He says that with time, it should pass." Rick looked at her. He was confused (not that it was hard to get him confused). What would happen after the nausea? Would the reason why she wouldn't experience it anymore be because she had some exotic disease? She sensed his panic and attempted to placate him. "No, Rick. I'm not dying. I'm pregnant."  
  
His relief over her not dying washed over him, and it took him several seconds to process what she had said next. "P...Pregnant? How? When?"  
  
She laughed. "I believe you know how, Mr. O'Connell. And the best he can figure is three weeks."  
  
He was stunned speechless. Three weeks? "Three weeks? Wha... Whe... Wow!" He knelt down in front of her and placed his free hand next to hers on her tummy. "You mean... there's a tiny... Rick-elyn in there?" Imagine that! A tiny him and Evelyn mixture swimming around in her tummy!  
  
She laughed again. "That's another way of putting it, yes." He felt her watch him for several seconds before she went on. She sounded worried. "You...you're happy about this, right? I mean, we didn't really have enough time to discuss having children. I mean…" She let her voice trail off, and stared at him, expecting the worst.  
  
He stared at her in disbelief for a few seconds. "Of course I'm happy! We're going to be parents. I'm going to be a father."  
  
The news finally sunk in. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and stood up, swinging her around in circles. "I'M GONNA BE A FATHER!"**  
  
O'Connell shook his head, trying to stop the assault. They just kept coming faster, beating him down as the mummy guards had, back in Hamunaptra.   
  
**"What is his name?" "Alexander Richard O'Connell."**  
  
Memories of Alex's childhood ran by at lightning speed. Memories he had forgotten about; teaching his son how to aim with a slingshot while Evelyn looked on bemusedly, Evelyn's excited look as she was finally accepted by Bembridge Scholars, arguments they had over the years, petty fights that had no value today except that making up had brought them closer together. Somehow each memory was centered around his late wife.  
  
Late wife. He was a widower. It was amazing how long some things took to sink in.  
  
**"Those are poisonous, you know." "Only when they bite."**  
  
**"It's just an oasis, darling!"**  
  
**"Honey, what are you doing? These guys don't use doors!"**  
  
**"I want him back, Rick. I want to hold him in my arms."** Yeah, well, I want to hold *you* in my arms again.  
  
A noise partially stirred him from his reverie. A soft clang sounded through the halls. As he went along, the noise became more loud and more clear. Something very large was being struck.  
  
**"No! Evelyn leapt over the side of the dirigible, scaring the living daylights out of him.  
  
"EVIE!" With instincts as fast, or faster, than that of a cat, he himself jumped ship. He managed to grab a hold of her ankle before she fell to her death, grabbing the edge of the balloon. In a flash, he was no longer Rick O'Connell adventurer and husband; he was now the Djedefre, Med-Jai and personal bodyguard to the Princess Nefertiti. He was sworn to stand by her side and protect her at no matter what cost to his own person.  
  
Djedefre pulled his charge up over the balcony, checking for any injury. The princess just stared over at the balcony, mourning the murder of her father with her trusted friend. **  
  
**"You see now? You must be destined to protect this woman!"** Some job he did. How could he protect a dead woman?  
  
**"Take care of Alex… I love you."**  
  
He was now walking through a small corridor, which led him into a large cavern. He could see one of his enemies (and there were a lot of them these days) swinging a large mallet at a gong, the latter having been the source of the noise. Red swirled before his eyes as he gripped the battle-ax. Immortal or not, Rick was going to kick some mummy ass.  
  
But first he had to get there. He quietly made his way to the far end of the room, leaping over a rift in the floor that most likely led to the pits of hell.  
  
Once on the other side, he took time to peer into it. Thousands of souls wailed up at him, begging him to either join them or free them. He didn't plan on doing either. At least, unless one of those souls was…no. She wouldn't be in hell; she was too good for that. Instead, he went ahead with his original plan. Revenge. Retribution. Recompense.  
  
Eyes on target, the American ran and took a swung at his enemy with the double-bladed ax, wishing he could slice the immortal in two. Unfortunately, Imhotep saw him and whirled around at the last minute, blocking Rick's blow with the pole. The two struggled to gain the upper hand until both weapons were knocked away. This was just fine for O'Connell; he was just dying to beat Imhotep into a bloody pulp. No matter what tool he used.  
  
After O'Connell was able to pound on the Priest for a few minutes, he realized that the reincarnated mummy must have lost his immortality again somehow. This didn't bother him much. Even without his use of sorcery, Imhotep was a worthy opponent in hand-to-hand combat. He lost his concentration as the Egyptian spoke.  
  
Didn't this bastard realize he couldn't speak his language? If he could, he'd be calling him every derogative word he could? Questioning his lineage in every way possible? In the back of his mind, he could hear Evelyn's voice as she translated. She would purse her lips and crinkle her brows as she concentrated, and maybe stick her little pink tongue out through the side of her lips. He couldn't hear the damn words, but her could see that damn expression.  
  
O'Connell delivered several powerful blows to the Priest. Of course, Imhotep didn't stand idly by as the American delivered them. They traded punches like titans, neither willing to allow the other to gain the advantage. Neither seemed to tire. One was fighting off of pure adrenaline, the other off of his sorrow, pain, and guilt.  
  
Their fight was interrupted by a more powerful quake than before. Something large was coming their way. Imhotep gazed up in awe at the large set of heavy double doors, awaiting the Scorpion King and his opportunity to command the Army of Anubis.  
  
O'Connell watched as his enemy fell back into a large scorpion statue wielding weapons. When Imhotep pulled off a trident and a scythe, Rick turned to a similar statue on his side and pulled down similar weapons. The two lunged at each other once again. O'Connell was sure he and his opponent were thinking the same thing; this time it was to the death.   
  
Sparks flew as metal struck metal. The chamber shook even more violently as the large doors began to open. At first, O'Connell couldn't see anything in the darkened room beyond except for rock and darkness. But, he was concentrating on Imhotep. And then there was movement from the ceiling. A large black scorpion body lowered itself from the ceiling. O'Connell gasped when he saw that where the head of the beast should be, there was instead the top half of a man. Large claws extended from where his arms should have been. All in all, it was definitely not a pretty sight.  
  
The creature climbed out from the room he had been confined in for the past three millennia and clambered his was for the two mortals. Rick choked up on the scythe as he watched the Scorpion King converse with Imhotep. He wished now he had taken Evelyn up on her offer when she suggested she teach him Ancient Egyptian a few years back. He had promised her that she could another time, knowing that he would be a difficult student. Now it was too late. Whatever Imhotep had said from his worshipful kneel, the Scorpion King seemed to be appeased. With the mummy's next words and gestures over to him however, the Scorpion King became enraged.  
  
He swiveled on all eight legs, claws outstretched, preparing to make O'Connell a shishkabob. O'Connell had little time to be confused as a large claw swept passed him. He barely managed to escape the strike by ducking into a wall, out of the creature's sight. He tried to catch his breath as he took in his surroundings, trying to figure out his next move. A golden sparkle on the blackened wall behind him caught his eye. He turned and saw a large Egyptian figure with a tattoo on his wrist identical to his own. He tore off his brace to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Sure enough, it was exactly the same. Looking down the wall he saw that the figure went on into other poses. In one, he was holding the Staff of Osiris, this one intact. The next one down showed the figure holding the staff above his head. The next, he had opened the staff into a long spear. The next picture showed the staff imbedded through the chest of the Scorpion King. By golly, if that wasn't a sign... "Okay, I believe!"   
  
He turned to see where the "king" was now. He didn't see them, but he saw his son and brother-in-law rush in. And Jonathan had apparently stolen the Staff of Osiris back from Izzy. O'Connell mentally cheered Jonathan's tendency for pick pocketing.   
  
Enough with the celebration, he needed that staff and he needed it now!  
  
Running for only family he had left, he frantically tried to get them to understand. "Jonathan! The staff!"  
  
"Yes, it's the staff!"  
  
"It's a spear!"   
  
"No, it's a staff!"  
  
"No! It opens up into a-" He was cut off (as he was trying to do hand gestures of screwing the top on the spear) when a large roar behind him and paused. His brother in law and son simultaneously screamed as the Scorpion King effortlessly knocked Rick halfway across the room. He landed with a hard thud and "Oof!" and figured 'Too hell with this. Let him take me if he wants. At least then I'll be with...'  
  
"RICK!" Her voice tore through the cavern. It was music to his ears. But she couldn't really be there, could she? She died in his arms. There was no way she could be alive.  
  
He looked up and saw she was standing there. "Evy?!" She was there! She wa- but wait...this could only bean apparition. Her soul came back from beyond the grave, begging him to live, or something like that.  
  
Well, either way he felt his strength return in a burst, and he was able to crawl out from certain death. He scrambled as far away from the beast as he could get. When Evy had said jump, he had only asked how high. When she said she wanted his head, he gave it to her on a silver platter. When she said 'Keep him busy' he got the crap beat out of him. When she screamed his name in fear for his safety even if she was just the spirit of the Evelyn he loved, he lived, dammit.  
  
He heard her yell at her brother (oh what a beautiful sound!) about how to open the spear. Even from beyond the grave she was full of information. He wondered if all souls glowed like that in the torchlight.  
  
He saw Jonathan throw the spear. In slow motion, it sailed through the air, twirling with impeccable aim to its target--  
  
Only to be intercepted by Imhotep. O'Connell felt his heart sink as the Priest grinned maliciously and threw the spear himself.  
  
Out of desperation, O'Connell leapt and dove for the spear. He knew that the odds were against him, but he did it anyway. He was this far into it now, why stop? Arm out, body flying, heart racing, O'Connell felt a rush of victory as his hand circled around the base. Unfortunately, the Scorpion King gave him no time to recover. He was herded to the edge of the abyss, narrowly escaping the swiping claws. The heel of his foot met with nothing but air. If he was going down and disobeying his wife's wishes, he wasn't going alone. He rammed the sharp point through the Scorpion's mid section. The creature screamed in pain, rage, and disbelief. 'Welcome to my world,' he thought.  
  
He saw Imhotep out of the corner of his eye and cheered. Good. The Egyptian bastard would see what he so desperately wanted to do to himself.  
  
"Go to Hell!" he cried, twisting the shaft further into the creature. "And take your friends with you!" The Scorpion King yelled out as he tripped, taking O'Connell and Imhotep with him, claws flailing. O'Connell felt the burn of the souls' touch as they pulled at him, once again urging him to join them. It was so tempting. The more he struggled, the more the sensation of burning increased. Perhaps if he were to just let go...but as he caught sight of his wedding band, he remembered Evelyn's silent plea. Live, Rick. Take care of our son, Rick. I love you, Rick.  
  
  
Once again, his wife filled him with untapped energies. He fought vigorously against the pull, hands reaching up to the edge. He tried to twist from their grasps. It was a struggle, but he was finally able to get his hands on the edge. He pulled himself up, the weight of the souls leaving him unable to pull himself all the way out. It felt as though they would rip him apart.  
  
He searched the entrance for signs of his wife's soul. Perhaps she could once again give him strength. What he saw took his breath away.  
  
Evelyn looked up at the cavern. It was then that he realized the room was shaking violently now, rocks crashing from the ceiling to the ground. He saw his wife look over at him then, eyes wide with fear and determination.  
  
It was then that he realized that she was very much alive. And he knew she would die again if she attempted to rescue him.   
  
"No, Evy! Don't!" He cried out to her desperately, trying to make her see that if she were to die again, he couldn't handle it. 'Don't put yourself at risk! YOU are stronger than I am! YOU can survive this! YOU can live without me!' For the first time in his life, he wished he had the capabilities of sending his thoughts directly to her.  
  
Well either she didn't hear him at all or she just decided against following his wishes. Damn her. He stayed alive because she asked! Why wouldn't she when he asked?  
  
His heart leapt to his throat as she started for the rift in the cavern floor. He bit his lip as she narrowly escaped the falling rock and gasped as one came so close to ending her life. She stumbled around, not making it to him in a strait line but in a woven path. Her movements were graceful. It was like watching a dance of life. It was beautiful.  
  
He was loosing his mind.  
  
She knelt before him. He forgot all about the damned souls pulling at him because she was now so close he could smell her. It was the most beautiful scent in the world. Of course, he may have been more than a little biased... her hands grasped at his collar and she pulled at him. Her arms wrapped around him as the souls drifted off, realizing that 'This guy is quite willing to live.'  
  
When he was all the way out, he wrapped his arms around her. She was alive! Alive and real! Alive and safe! Alive and breathing! Alive and well! She was alive! He nuzzled his face against her cheek neck and hair, breathing her in and peppering her with kisses. Alive alive alive! She was ALIVE! He wanted to shout it out to all that would hear. 'EVELYN O'CONNELL IS ALIVE! MY WIFE IS ALIVE!' His heart was swelling up like Izzy's dirigible. He was sure that pretty soon he could lift them all away--  
  
"Anck-Sunamun!"  
  
Rick turned to the mummy. Why must he interrupt?   
  
Imhotep was reaching to his beloved. He cried out to her in his language, and Rick turned to see her reaction. There was fear in her eyes, as there had been in Evelyn's, but that was it. There was no determination in those dark eyes. He watched as she turned tail and ran, screaming what sounded suspiciously like "No!" as she went.   
  
"Anck-Sunamun..." Imhotep turned to himself and Evelyn, his eyes full of betrayal and envy. Rick felt his heart soften towards this man. The woman he thought had loved him as much as he did had preformed the ultimate betrayal. O'Connell didn't even want to TRY to put himself 'in Imhotep's shoes'. It must have hurt worse than hell. O'Connell wasn't all that surprised as he saw the priest throw himself backward, embracing the souls as he fell. O'Connell's arms tightened around his wife. Why did he feel so sorry for that man? He killed Evy, the bastard. All right, so his betraying back stabbing poor excuse for an eternal love did. Maybe that was it. Maybe because he was, in a sense, killed by her as well.   
  
The ground shook harder, and O'Connell grabbed his living wife and ran for safety.  
  
  
  
"I almost lost you back there."  
  
"For a moment you did." O'Connell could barely suppress a shudder at the thought. "Do you want to know what heaven looks like?"  
  
"Maybe later." Right now all he wanted to do was hold her and never let go. They kissed like it was the first time (Well, second. The first one was too brief, and though it was pretty good, it still wasn't as good as their second. So it was more like their second kiss.) And he realized that he WAS destined to protect her. And to be with her. And especially, to love her.  
  
Which he did. And would. Always.  
  
The End  
  
  
  
More Of These Notes: Thanks to Dragon for taking time out of her life to go over this and fixing my errors.  



End file.
